Receptacle and the art of its recovery



J. M. RUDE.

RECEPTACLE AND THE ART OF ITS RECOVERY. AFjPLICATlON FILED MAR. 4, 1918.

1,881,435. Patented June 14, 1921 WITNESS.- I NVEN TOR.

Jana 1, Zlzaie lY/J A TTORNEY.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ames M. RUDE, or COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR T0 oA CONSERVATIONCOMPANY, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION or DE A A BECEPTACLE ANDTHE ART OF ITS RECOVERY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that 1, JAMES M. RUDE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oovington in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Receptacles and-theArt of their Recovery; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of can constructionand conservation of materials for cans.

The primary object in view is the saving of cans which have heretoforebeen discardedafter a single use, and a further object is the productionof a can structure of greater stability than the original can.

With these and still further objects in View: as'will in parthereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the inventioncomprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements ofparts as subse uently specified and claimed.

11 the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalvertical central section through a can produced by the present improvedprocess and embodying the resulting novel structure.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section through aportion of the'can prior to theapplication of a'new cover, the old cover being indicated in dottedlines in the condition in which it exists when the can is customarilydiscarded after one use.

Fig.' 3 is a similar view of they structure with the new cover applied,the position of the flange before it is turned down being indicated indotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3' of a slightly modified structure.

' Not only has the general movement toward the conservation ofresources, in view of the presentneed toavoid waste, presented in aforceful manner the need for saving of ,tin plate used in themanufacture of cans, but the saving in transportation and the makingpossible of preservation of food products 'by the re-use of cans whichwould not votherwise be preserved, because of lack of facility fordistribution of new cans, have Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedJ 11113 14, 1921, Application filed March 4, 1918. Serial No. 220,217.

This invention, therefore, contemplates an improvement in the art ofsalvaging used cans and a resulting product which is in fact superior inits function and capacity to the original can.

The salvaging of slip-top and friction top cans presents certainproblems which need not be considered but which are minor compared withaneflort to save the cans of the type whose top is opened by a canopener, such, for example, as the commonly used tomato can. All but thetop itself, however, can be saved and re-used by carrying out the stepsof the process now to be set forth in detail.

A can rendered useless by having an irregular hole cut in its top istaken and a portion of the top removed. Such a can is indicated at 1 inthe drawing, the old top being indicated in dotted lines at 2 in Fig. 2.A portion of this top is removed by cut.- ting away the material of thetop along the edge of the can at the point indicated at 3 in Fig. 2 ofthe drawing. This cutting op.- eration may be accomplished in any ofvarious ways, but I prefer to apply the end of the can to the face of anemery wheel and grind the edge portion'3 away until the upper edge ofthe .can 1 proper is reached. When this point is reached in the cuttingaway operation, the lid 2 will fall away from the can. The can 1 in theoriginal process of manufacture is formed with a flange 4 with which isinterlocked a flange portion 5 of top 2. Portion 5 in some forms of cansis merely overlapped and in others formed into a lock seam, and ineither event when the cutting away operation is completed, removing theedge portion 3, there remains the annulus 5 which is soldered orotherwise cemented to the can body 1. This annulus renders the upper endof the can stiffer than was the original can before a lid was applied.This additional stiffness materially strengthens the can and preventsliability of denting from the action of internal vacuum, and alsostabilizes the structure against injury during handling and ship ment.

A new lid must be provided for can 1 and consists of a lid 6corresponding in all respects to the structure of lid 2 with thepossible exception that the lid 6 initially may be of slightly largerdiameter than was lid 2 initially.

After the lid 2 has been removed both the interior and exterior of can 1are thoroughly cleansed and may be polished by appropriate apparatus.For the purpose of the present improved process, it should be understoodthat the interior and exterior of the cans are preferably cleansed bythe use of a cleansing fluid and appropriate brushes. These brushes arepreferably machine actuated but may be manually operated. 5

When the can has been thoroughly cleansed, it is placed in asterilizingliquid, as, for example, in boiling water and kept I there for asuflicient length of time to insure the destruction of any germs. V

The can is then filled with the food substance or other material to bepreserved and the new lid 6 is applied with the flange 7, as seenin-dotted lines in Fig. 3, outstanding about the upper end of the can 1.This flange is rolled or stamped down to a position to surround theannulus 5 and is then soldered to the can 1 by a line of solder alon thecorner or joint of the edge of flange with the body of can 1.

Thus the reclaimed can is of stronger construction than the originalcan, and all of the cost of original construction has been saved. exceptthe cost of the new lid. The amount of saving in the aggregate will berecognized as vast when the number of cans of this type discarded afterfirst use is considered. It should be borne in mind also that exhaustivetests by the highest class chemists in the United States have proven Asclearly seen in Fig. 4, the present im-;

proved can may be utilized with its new lid 6 without requiring solderalong the lineof contact of the edge of the bent-over flange 7 providingother means are supplied for insuring an air-tight joint between the lidand can. To this end, a gasket 8 is placed on the upper edge of can 1before the lid 6 is placed on the can. The lid is then applied and theflange bent over to position so that the resulting closed can presentssubstantially the same appearance as the can without the gasket exceptthat the edge of flange 7 is not soldered to the body 1. The gasket 8may be formed of paper, cord, cement, rubber, or other appropriatefiller, so long as it possesses the capacity of sealing the jointbetween the lid and can.

It is to be observed that in withdrawing the contents from cans variousmethods are employed, as, for example, two small apertures arefrequently made in milk-containing cans for allowing the air to enter inthe upper aperture while the milk discharges from the lower aperturewhen the can is tilted. With other cans, the cover is cutaway say forone-half of its circumference, and bent back sufiiciently to allow thedischarge of the contents while with still others the greater portion ofthe body of the cover is cut by a can opener to the point where 1t canbe entirely removed. The treatment of the remaining injured can coverwill be the same since the remaining cover must-be removed eifectivelywhether it assumes the form of a substantially complete-cover with onlya small aperture or two small apertures or, going to, the other extreme,it presents merely a ragged edge annulus. It, is, therefore, to be bornein mind that in the terms of the appended claims the expression injuredcover is intended to include any remaining part or parts of a'can coverwhich must be removed for leaving the open end of the can free. x i

What I claim is 1. In the art of recovering cans, cutting away thatportion of an injured can cover which extends across the edge of the endof the can body for detaching the main portion of the cover and allowingthat portion of the can cover extending outside of the body of the canand beyond the portion cut away to remain in engagement with the can.

2. In the art of recovering cans, grinding off that portion of aninjured can cover which extends across the edge of the end of the canbody for detaching the main portion of the cover and allowing thatportion of the can cover extending outside of the body of the can andbeyond the ground ofl' portion to remain in engagement with the can.

3. In the 'art of recovering cans, cutting away that portion ofaninjured can cover extending across the edge of the end: of the can bodyand leaving the peripheral portion of the cover in engagement with thebody in position for receiving a new cover with a portion engaging thesaid remainingperipheral portion of the old cover.

4. In the art of recovering cans of the type having tops soldered to thecan bodies, grinding-the material of an injured cover of the can alongthe line of the circular marginal head of the cover at the end of thecan and removing the main portionof the injured cover While leavin asoldered-on ring of the old can cover xed to the can body in position toreceive the flangebf a new cover.

5. In the art of recovering cans, grinding an injured cover about theedge of the can only and removing that portion of the cover extendingacross the can body, while leaving that portion of the cover outside ofthe can body in engagement therewith.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a can body comprising a hollowcylinder of sheet material having an open end bordered exteriorly at itsmargin with an annulus soldered to the body of the can and formed ofpart of the material of an old cover remaining after removal of the oldcover from the can body by severing the material of said old coversubstantially along and co-incident with the circular line of themarginal bead of the old cover, the said can body being smooth and freeof all obstructions interiorly about its open end.

7. In the art of recovering cans, severing a circular part of an injuredcover of a can along and co-incident with that line described by the endof the can body and leaving the portion of the cut cover outside of saidline in engagement with the can, and

removing only that portion of the cover extending across the can, theinterior of the can body at its open end being left smooth.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a can body comprising a hollow clinder of sheet material having an open en surrounded by and interlockedat its margin with an annulus of the material of an old cover remainingafter removal of the old cover from the can body by severing thematerial of said old cover substantially along and co-incident with thecircular line of the marginal bead of the old cover, the said can bodybeing smooth and free of all obstructions interiorly about its open end.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. RUDE.

Witnesses:

G. H. FnsLER, EDGAR M. Krronm.

